After two hours of intense plumbing work and many cups of tea, her pipes were as good as new. And her kitchen was no longer threatened by an incoming flood.

At that point, Dave was no longer shirtless and they were both seated in a corner of the living room that was usually reserved for relaxation purposes or better put, drinking purposes.

"You are quite fortunate that I brought along the right size of pipes. It would have been a hassle to have to get another one."

"Oh, I see," she smiled.

Ashley, who had brewed another batch of tea, stretched a cup at Dave.

"Thank you," Dave said.

Ashley could not take her eyes off his built body. With awe, she watched as his biceps flexed with the slight raise of his right hand which was holding his cup of tea.

It was not as though she had never seen a body like his before, but throughout her two years of marriage, she had gotten used to seeing a man who was growing a pot belly and gradually achieving a receding hairline.

So, it was a little hard for her to take her eyes off that fine specimen.

When Dave cleared his throat, Ashley's eyes diverted to her cup which was settled on the little table separating her from the gorgeous man. And, he asked a surprising question. "So, what is your story?"

"What do you mean by my story?"

"Ashley..."

A frown was quick to grace her face. "How on earth do you know my name?" she asked cautiously.

Shrugging, his arms crossing, causing his muscles to strain against his body-fitting black t-shirt, he answered, "I had to make my findings before coming here. It is company policy to briefly find out details about our customers." Ashley's brows went up in further perplexity and his lips twitched. "You are Ashley Steve-Edwards. You are an entrepreneurial fashion designer and strangely that's all I could find out, hence my question."

While Ashley watched him closely, her teeth did a great job of helping her process that moment by biting the sides of her mouth. After some seconds she replied, "Ashley Steve. Just Ashley Steve."

The sides of his mouth went dome-shape. "So the rumours are true after all. You are divorced."

"If they are true, they shouldn't be called rumours." She took a deep breath and relaxed it within a second. "Listen, Dave, I don't mean to sound rude, but if the person I called to help fix my pipes tells me that he decided to gather some information about me, I have to be concerned. Maybe I shouldn't have served you tea at all."

"Ashley," his voice stayed calm, his lips were now smirking, and that twinkle in his eyes was still there, "the same way you decided to run our company details and reputation through Google for minutes, is the same way I decided to know a little about the occupant of the house I was coming to work at."

Ashley became tongue-tied.

He was kind of right.

With the security problems out there, that was a good thing to do.

But then, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of shutting her up, so with a sprinkle of disdain on her lips, she asked, "Why are you concerned about my story? Is that also part of the company's procedure?"

"Well, a busy woman like you is at home on a Tuesday afternoon with a flooded kitchen and that is not something I expected. Besides, I can't deny the sunken look in your eyes, " he went on to take a glance through her body, " neither can I deny the burden you seem to carry, thus the question. So, Ashley Steve, what is your story?"

Without thinking, Ashley reached for her face. As she circled her skin with her fingers, she thought, 'Is my misery that obvious?'

"Well uh..." Ashley wasn't doing so well in giving him a response and she needed to. For some reason, she felt like she had found a reason to gradually transform into the confident version of Ashley that she was before her divorce. So, when she gathered herself, she spat her response at him, saying, "What makes you think I would want to share my life story with a stranger?"

Chuckling softly, his free hands rubbing his thighs, Dave returned, "Do you check out every stranger that walks into your house?" Ashley's breath ceased for a second before it suffered a rapid release. "I certainly did not miss the admiration you bestowed upon me while I was working." He threw his hands in surrender. "But I am not complaining."

"Wh- what exactly do you want from me?" Ashley asked quietly. It was clear that her intention to be snarky would not work out anymore.

"Ashley." His meticulous pronunciation of her name made the woman feel a ting in her belly. Or perhaps her reaction was because of the smile in his squinted eyes. "I want to help you. I don't know you that well, but I can tell that you are not yourself. I will dare to annoy you and say that you are a mess."

What could she be annoyed for?

He was right. Totally right.

"You are not taking your divorce quite well and it will be dangerous for you to go on like this."

Eyeing him with the side of her eyes, feeling enticed by his words that had a huge slice of truth in them, she asked, "How are you going to help me?"

"That is something that is known to only me."

His response made him look more dubious.

"Tell me..." Ashley shifted in her seat to fully face him, her eyes capturing the one picture of Kevin that was still in the house. "Why does it feel like this 'way' of yours," she curled two fingers on both hands twice, "has a lot to do with physical intimacy?"

Amusement took over the tenderness in his eyes, and he asked, "Is that what you want?"

His question took Ashley aback.

It was so direct and it made her realize that it had been a while since a man touched her.

And it was not a matter of one month ago, it was more like months.

But there she was, seated opposite a handsome man with an accent that kept drilling and filling her ears with sweet sounds, and he had just asked her if she wanted to jump into bed with him.

Dave must have noticed that she was going deeper into her thoughts. So, with intent in his voice, he called her back.

He said, "You don't have to think so much, Ashley. If that is what you want, just say yes and I will take you to that couch. The next thing you know, you will be writhing and twisting because of my touch, under my touch."

Ashley felt a little shiver in her soul.

His words...

And, the confidence in his words...

They tempted her.

And, she was tempted. Very tempted.

Keeping her knees together to try and suppress the new feeling that had erupted, Ashley said, "L- let's focus Dave. How on earth are you going to help me?"

"I will just do it."

"So, you will be like subjecting me to therapy?"

"No darling, I don't do therapies, I fix."

"I hope you realize I am not a pipe. You are talking to a human. You can't fix a human."

"To some extent, I can. I just can't tell you how."

"This is ridiculous," Ashley could not help but shake her head unbelievably. "What do you stand to gain from all this?" He shrugged. "That's not even a proper answer!" she exclaimed.

"It is the right amount of answer I can give you for now. So, what do you say, Ashley? Do you want to end this misery that you are in and let me help you?"

"I am sorry," she got up, her hands slapping the sides of the blue jean trousers she changed into, "you are a stranger..."

"A stranger you just had a few minutes talk with over a cup of tea? Am I really a stranger?" Dave got up and walked towards her until they were inches apart. After he leaned closer, their faces became closer than she hoped. "Tell me, Ashley, at this point, am I a stranger?"

'Definitely not to my body, she is acting like she has known you for years.' The chaos in her body, especially in her groin area, was not one she could ignore.

"Dave, please," Ashley groaned after she managed to suppress the feeling that was about to get out of hand.

"What?" he questioned amusedly. "You even know the name of this stranger?"

"Please, I appreciate your concern, but I don't think I need your help. Thank you for fixing my pipes though, at least I am assured of sleeping in my own house tonight."

Slowly, he backed his steps, Ashley looking anywhere but his face.

With a certain affection that was strange to Ashley in his voice, he answered, "You and I know you need more than my help. You need someone to help you deal with your pain. And you can't tell me your soul isn't filled with aches. Anyway, when you change your mind Ashley, you know where to find me." He smirked, reached for his cup, and downed the rest of the tea.

"Well, that's my cue." He dropped the cup, the latter clinking as it landed on the glass stool and he reached for his toolbox that had been laying on the cold white tile for a while.

"See you later, Ashley. I will send someone over later to check the work I have done. We have to make sure your house is safe from now on."

His previous words about her pain and soul were still racing through her mind, so she did not hear him at all.

And she did not hear him when he advised her to get someone to check if the water did any more damage to the kitchen.